Stencil construction

ABSTRACT

A stencil construction in which a generally rectangularly shaped stencil is adhesively secured along its peripheral edges to a backing sheet. The stencil and backing sheet have a generally rectangularly shaped central copy portion in which no adhesive is used therebetween. The central portion of the backing sheet is cut through on selected portions of its periphery and at least one side edge of the central portion of the backing sheet is perforated therealong so that it may optionally be used as a hinge for the remainder of the central portion or the central portion of the backing sheet may be torn off after the stencil has been cut with desired legends. During cutting of the stencil the backing sheet is in abutting position behind the central copy portion of the stencil. It is only during use of the stencil as a reproducing tool that the central portion of the backing sheet is either swung out of the way about its perforated hinge or torn off.

United States Patent 1191 Weber STENCIL CONSTRUCTION Primary Examiner-Clyde l. Coughenour [75] lnventorzl Joseph A. Weber, Prospect Heights, Attorney Agent Firm Kenneth Snow Ill.

[73] Assignee: Weber Marking Systems, Inc., [57] TRACT A li H i 11 A stencil construction in which a generally rectangularly shaped stencil is adhesively secured along its pc- [22] Flled: July 20,1972 ripheral edges to a backing sheet. The stencil and [21] Appl.'No.: 273,613 backing sheet have a generally rectangularly shaped central copy portion in which no adhesive is used therebetween. The central portion of the backing [52] U.S. Cl 101/128.2, 101 /128.l, 282/28 R Sheet is cut through on Selected portions of its periph, [51] Int. Cl B41n 1/24, B41l 13/02 ery and at least one Side edge of the central portion of [58] held of Search 101/127, 1271 the backing sheet is perforated therealong so that it 101/ 1 129; 282/28 R may optionally be used as a hinge for the remainder of the central portion or the central portion of the back- [56] References C'ted ing sheet may be torn off after the stencil has been cut UNITED STATES P T T with desired legends. During cutting of the stencil the 1,909,913 5/1933 Elliott 101/369 X backing sheet is in abutting position behind the central 2,500,612 3/ 1950 Kro h 101/369 X copy portion of the stencil. It is only during use of the 2,942,368 6/1960 Gale 40/158 R stencil as a reproducing tool that the central portion Gestetner X of the backing heet is either swung out of the way 1,707,095 3/1929 Pyle l0l/l27.l about its perforated hinge or tom ff 2,875,687 3/l959 Renauer 10l/l27.l X i l 1 Claim, 3 Drawing Figures l I x l K X r X x X X |x x I 17 :1: i7 1 17 i' x l x x l X I)\ x XI :l: 1 "I I 1 i i I l; I :I .xifi l 1 xllx E I i5 X t x I X x x 5- i x i X X X X -J6 I x A wfi" -l- 1| x )\[x X X X X 9 x X K 19a X X x 1 1 il 19 m X ix Ix K K X i )4 g M I x s x x Q I K 18 1 J8 X 18 X X 18 X X w v 1 1 :I 1 1 X X x J xyxxxxxrx: xx :,4 I Xxx! BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The use of mimeograph type stencils for addressing and labelling has been increasing steadily over the years. Such stencils are generally cut with typewriters and are then used to imprint envelopes or cards or the like. Originally these labelling stencils were made to correspond to the embossed metal address plates which were in common business use at the time of this development. The first stencils were usually provided with a stiff paper or ,card stock rectangularly shaped open frame and the stencil then cemented to the frame.

Since those first framed stencils .the constructions were changed in a constant evolution. It was found that better cutting of legends in the stencil could be obtained with a backing sheet. Of course the backing sheet was removed after the cutting and before the stencil was used in the imprinting process. In many instances the stencil was glued to one edge of the backing sheet. Pressure sensitive adhesives were then employed either with or without a carrying tape and the stencils removably fastened to. backing sheets either with or without intermediate carbon sheets. When carbon sheets were used the stencils were capable of being removably affixed to other forms such as invoices so that if the stencils were to be used to address packages of a shipment the packages and the invoices would have identical v addresses. These stencil assemblies were made either singly or in continuous strips.

, The present invention is in effect a throwback to the original framed stencils that were primarily used to address envelopes or cards. However, the present invention utilizes the feature of ,a backing sheet behind the portion'thereof to be cut and yet provides for its removal during subsequent imprinting use either by hinge folding away or back that portion of the backing sheet over the cut legend'portion, or completely tearing that portion off leaving a framed stencil for imprinting use. 4 2. Description of the Prior Art The patent to Choate 1,084,314 shows a stencil construction in which a. rectangular blank of cardboard or celluloid, or the like, has its centerpunched out to form,

an open frame. A stencil is then adhesively secured to the frame and thereafter the blanked out center is re-.

placed in the frame at the time of the cutting of the stencil. This 1907 invention indicates the function is to simultaneously produce a stencil and print a cross reference card on the prior cut out center.

The patent to Elliott U.S. Pat. No. 1,909,913 employs a stiff rectangular frame member on one side of the stencil and another stiff rectangular frame member on the other side of the stencil. Sandwiched betweenthe stiff frame members are a stencil sheet and a backing sheet. A part of that backing sheet is scored or perforated to permit removal of a center strip or panel after the, stencil is cut. A later patent to Elliott U.S.Pat. No. 1,937,751 is very similar in construction to the earlier patent in that he uses a stiff heavy frame and a backing sheet with a removable panel.

The Mooney U.S. Pat. No. 2,771,026 shows a stencil assembly with' a pressure sensitive adhesive tape holding a stencil sheet and a carbon sheet and permits removable attachment to another form. After simultastencil is removed and the carbon sheet stripped off and the stencil used in a handprinter to reproduce the legend cut in the stencil.

My own earlier Weber U.S. Pat. No. 3,094,342 shows and describes a porous carbon sheet having an edge strip of adhesive and having a stencil sheet attached on one side thereof and a backing sheet attached to its other side.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION riphery thereof to hold the stencil to the backing sheet.

A still further important object of this invention is to provide a stencil construction as defined in the previous objects and further-including a nonadhering central panel portion and the panel cut through the backing sheet only around three sides thereof and the fourth side of the backing sheet panel being perforated to constitute a hinge for the central panel after cutting of the stencil is completed.

' Another and still further important object of this invention is to provide a continuous strip of stencil as semblies joined by transverse perforated lines and each assembly having a backing sheet with acentrally located hinged window and an outer peripheral frame.

Still another important object of this invention is the provision of a novel stencil assembly construction in which a backing sheet is in back-up position behindthe stencil sheet during cutting thereof and by hinging a panel portion of the backing sheet away from the stencil the assembly may be used for imprinting.

Another important object of this invention is to provide a stencil assembly construction as defined in the previous object and in which the panel portion of the backing sheet may be completely removed to constitute a permanent record of the legend cut in the stencil and still provide the stencil with a full peripheral frame of backing sheet material. I

Other and further important objects and advantages will become apparent from the disclosures in the accompanying drawings and following specification.

IN THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the top or stencil side of a strip of continuous stencil assemblies.

' FIG. 2 is a bottom plan view of the strip of continuous stencil assemblies of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged sectional view taken on the line 3-3 of FIG. 2.

of mimeograph stencil material. The stencil material is neously cutting the stencil and printing the form the made from a base of porous tissue, usually Yoshino paper, with a wax or wax-like coating impregnated therein. Upon cutting the stencil either with a typewriter, stylus, or other stencil cutting machine the wax coating is removed to define the legends cut therein.

Ink then is free to pass through the cut portion of the 3 stencil while the remainderof the stencil bars passage of ink.

The subject stencil construction includes a backing sheet 11 in strip form disposed directly beneath the stencil strip. Transverse perforations 12 are provided in the combination stencil and backing sheet at regular intervals along the length thereof. These perforations define single assemblies 13 of rectangular stencils for subsequent use either in a stencil hand printing stamp or a machine. As best shown in FIG. 1 a cement or other adhesive 14 is arranged around the periphery of each assembly between the stencil and the backing sheet 1 1. This insures that the stencil and backing sheet will remain together during subsequent use of the stencil assemblies.

The backing sheet 11 is provided with a centrally positioned panel portion 15 which is generally rectangular in shape. The panel 15 is outlined by a lower die cut edge 16, spaced apart parallel die cut side edges 17 and 18 and a top line of perforations 19 which is disposed parallel to the lower edge 16. The die cutting is made completely through the backing sheet 11 so there are three adjoining side edges of the panel free and severed from the remainder of the backing sheet. The fourth side 19-which has been defined as perforated consti- -tutes a hinge line about which the panel is swingingly hinged to permit movement of the panel out of the plane of the backing sheet. Thispermits a cutting of the stencil at a time when the backing sheet is in back-up position behind the stencil. The hinge 19 then permits a swinging of the panel 15 out of the plane of the remainder of the backing sheet and thus enables an imprinting of a legend material 20 without interference by the backing sheet.

The periphery of the backing sheet 11 constitutes a permanent frame for the stencil assembly as it is glued therearound to thestencil sheet as shown at 14. The frame permits easier handling of the stencil during cutting and subsequently during imprinting of the stencil legend. The cutting of the stencil may be at a time when the stencil assemblies are part of a continuous strip or after they have been separated into single assemblies 13.

OPERATION The stencil assemblies is a continuous strip may be successively cut in that continuous form for addressing a plurality of labels or cards or the like, or, as previously statedthe assemblies may be easily torn loose from the strip along the perforated lines 12 into individual assemblies 13 and then separately used. After cutting the legends in the assemblies the stencils may be used in an imprinter. Separate assemblies 13 are used either in a hand stamp or a machine imprinter where it is desired to repeatedly imprint the content of a single stencil, as for the addressing of a plurality of pieces of mail or packages. It is also conceivable the strip of continuous assemblies could be used in a machine where each stencil would be used to make one impression on a succession of envelopes or cards or the like.

During imprinting, the panel flap like members 15 are swung about their hinge lines 19 away from the plane of the backing sheet 11. This permits direct contact of the stencil 10 with a surface on which imprinting is to be made. Or, the panels may be torn on their perforated hinge lines 19 and the separated panels used as a record of the stencils made. Of course prior to imprinting the panels have served their purpose as a backing for the stencils as they were cut, and the remaining peripheral frames have served and will continue to serve as reinforcements for the stencil during cutting and subsequent imprinting.

I am aware that various details of construction may be varied without departing from the principles disclosed herein and I therefore do not propose limiting the patent granted hereon otherwise than as necessitated by the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A stencil construction comprising an elongated strip of stencil material anda correspondingly elongated strip of backing sheet, said combined strips of stencil material and backing sheet having transversely defined contiguous rectangular sections, said combined strips having transverse perforation lines at spacedintervals defining contiguous rectangular sections, means adhesively securing said stencil material along the peripheral side edges of each rectangular section to said backing sheet, each of said rectangular section of stencil material and backing sheet having a generally rectangularly shaped central copy portion in which no adhesive is used therebetween, said backing sheet cut through on three side edges of the periphery of each of the rectangularly shaped central copy portions, and the fourth side edgeof each of the rectangularly shaped central copy portions of the backing sheet being perfosired legends. 

1. A stencil construction comprising an elongated strip of stencil material and a correspondingly elongated strip of backing sheet, said combined strips of stencil material and backing sheet having transversely defined contiguous rectangular sections, said combined strips having transverse perforation lines at spaced intervals defining contiguous rectangular sections, means adhesively securing said stencil material along the peripheral side edges of each rectangular section to said backing sheet, each of said rectangular section of stencil material and backing sheet having a generally rectangularly shaped central copy portion in which no adhesive is used therebetween, said backing sheet cut through on three side edges of the periphery of each of the rectangularly shaped central copy portions, and the fourth side edge of each of the rectangularly shaped central copy portions of the backing sheet being perforated therealong so that they may optionally be used as hinges for the remainder of the central copy portions or the central portions of the backing sheet may be torn off as desired after the stencils have been cut with desired legends. 